College Football Recruiting: Will Former OSU Commit Luke Del Rio Look to the Alabama Crimson Tide?

By James Gomez

Richard Rowe-USA TODAY Sports

College football recruiting is a long process that has its ups and downs as prep athletes face the task of deciding where they will spend their collegiate careers. Not that the Oklahoma State Cowboys needed the lesson, but 18-year olds are known to change their minds.

Luke Del Rio has decommitted from OSU, according to the Denver Post and his own Twitter feed. The son of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack, Luke is one of the most highly-sought quarterback prospects in the country.

Speculation is that the trigger for the de-commitment was Todd Monken, Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator, taking the head coaching gig with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. An untold victim of assistant coaches leaving for head coaching jobs elsewhere is the recruit that developed a relationship with said coach.

Assistants, in many case, are the face that walks into a recruit’s living room, and are the coaches that a player will spend the majority of his time with. For many players, their relationship with their position coach can be as important if not more than where the school is located. Luke was familiar with Monken, as both he, and the elder Del Rio coached together in Jacksonville.

With the three-star quarterback and Elite 11 invitee back into the mix, big name schools are waiting with scholarships in hand. Currently, the Oregon State Beavers have already made an offer according to both Rivals and ESPN. The Highlands Ranch product is also being sought by the in-state Colorado State Rams.

Another school that has an attractive pedigree is that of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Denver Post has reported that both Alabama and Oregon State will meet with Del Rio. Already planning an early graduation, the quarterback will likely make a selection fairly quick as he likely has plans to enroll at his school of choice early.

An accurate arm, high football IQ, and solid arm strength only begin to describe what Del Rio can bring to the table. For the second time, Luke must decide where he wants to play.